AfD re-elects Weidel with 81% and Chrupalla with 70% amid massive protests; 'last chance to save our country,' Weidel says

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party's national convention in Erfurt saw Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla re-elected as co-leaders, with Weidel receiving 81% and Chrupalla 70% of the votes. This event coincided with significant protests, with police estimating 31,000 demonstrators clashing with law enforcement.³⁴⁵⁶

Weidel emphasized the urgency of their mission, stating, "For this remains our last chance to save our country," while Chrupalla expressed ambitions for governance, saying, "We want to govern — and we will govern — first at the state level, then nationally." The AfD has surged in popularity, with recent polls indicating support as high as 29%, surpassing Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives at 22%.

The protests, organized by various civil society groups, aimed to disrupt the convention, reflecting the deep divisions within German society regarding the AfD's rise. Protesters accused the party of promoting racist policies and threatening Germany's democratic values. Despite the protests, the convention proceeded as planned, with Weidel and Chrupalla reaffirming their leadership amid calls for rigorous deportations and a hardline stance on immigration.

The timing of the convention, coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of a Nazi Party meeting, has drawn criticism and accusations of insensitivity from opponents. The AfD, classified as a right-wing extremist group by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, continues to face a political "firewall" from mainstream parties, which refuse to collaborate with it due to its extremist views.^11121314